Kobe Bryant was a great player, but he was also well known for having high standards. He had ambitious demands from his teammates, and they made sure they worked hard to gain his respect.
From 1996 to 2016, Kobe Bryant was one of the best players in the NBA. He led the Los Angeles Lakers for a long time and led them to five NBA championships.
Bryant was the second best player for Shaquille O’Neill in the early 2000s with three peats. Early success set a high standard for Bryant. He was always a hardworking player, but he demanded the same attitude from his teammates to win.
He is famous for his offseason work and for his “mamba mentality.” As long as someone worked hard he was immediately impressed when the players tried their best and asked for help. This is what former Lakers Center Kwame Brown said because he wanted to strengthen his relationship with Bryant.
As one of the main roles in Bryant’s supporting cast in the mid-2000s, Brown had to work hard during the Lakers spells. Although it wasn’t connected to the championship, Brown spent quite a bit of time with the team.
He didn’t live up to the hype that it was a comprehensive pick, but he learned a lot of lessons during his three seasons with the Lakers. Playing with Bryant helped with that as he benefited from Black Mamba’s playmaking and killer mentality.
Brown struggled to adapt to playing with Bryant as Black Mamba was constantly fierce in his approach.
“I’ve become Kobe. First of all, mentally, I said, “I don’t want to be here.” But I remember getting injured too, talking to Kobe and seeing how he got hurt and how he played me,” Brown told the Pivot Podcast.
Through hard work and hustling, Brown became a fixture for the Lakers’ rotation. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean expecting an outstanding career from the #1 pick. However, he was still decent while playing with Bryant.
Bryant was a major star of the Lakers, so many teammates wanted to rely on him to carry them. He had high demands from his teammates. This has been done to work hard and assisting the rest of the team.
“He has given us trust, but we have to give so much effort to whatever we lack in our experience,” Brown told the New York Times.
“I think he’ll be happy as long as we put 100% of his effort on him.”
Thankfully, his efforts paid off as he and Phil Jackson created a strong environment. Despite Jackson’s favourite for Michael Jordan, they had a great coach-player relationship.
Two more championships took place beyond the 3 peats of the early 2000s, as everyone was playing to win. Brown was not part of the run in either title, but he saw what Bryant focused on success.